President Obama arrived in Colorado late Sunday afternoon to console some of the loved ones of the dead and visit with some of the wounded survivors of Friday's shooting massacre at a movie theater in suburban Denver.
His first stop was University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora, where he met with families of some of the victims. The hospital, a short drive from the movie theater, received 23 victims. Ten of those wounded are still being treated at the hospital —including seven that are still in critical condition, according to the hospital.
Obama will not attend a community prayer vigil, which is scheduled in Aurora Sunday night, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper said in an interview with CNN's State of the Union this morning. The governor said that Obama's intention is to use the quick visit—less than three hours on the ground to have private conversations with those directly impacted by the shooting incident.
The White House, however, said Sunday afternoon that the president would make a statement to the press following his visit to the hospital.
Since the incident, there have been some calls—most notably from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg — to make gun control a crucial part of the debate between the GOP likely nominee Mitt Romney and Obama.
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said the "president's view is that we can take steps to keep guns out of the hands of people who should not have them under existing law."
Obama campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki suggested that it was too soon to say whether gun control would now become a bigger part of the campaign conversation.
"I think this stage where this is so fresh and new for so many people, including the people in Colorado, who are still mourning the loss of their loved ones," Psaki said. "And so it's really too early to say how this will play. And again, we're just taking it day by day. That's what our focus is today"
